Slubbing attachment for spinning frame



March 22, 1960 H. J. WOODS SLUBBING ATTACHMENT FOR SPINNING FRAME I Filed Dec. 11, 1958 INVENTOR fiwazfi rd Woods ATTORNEYS United States Patent:- i

SLUBBING ATTACHMENT FOR SPINNING FRAME Herbert J. Woods, Greensboro, N.C., assignor to Burlington Industries, Inc., Greensboro, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Application December 11, 1958, Serial No. 779,635

6 Claims. (Cl. 19-1435) This invention relates to apparatus for the production of slub yarn, and in particular to improvements in electrical slubbing mechanisms.

In conventional spinning frames and the like, it is known to provide clutch means for periodically overdriving one or more drafting rolls to effect heavy portions or slubs in the yarn being processed. The slub yarn, when woven into fabric, creates attractive eifects by reason of the slubs, which are spaced desirably to fall into random arrangement. Common slubbing mechanisms utilize magnetic or other electrically actuated clutches in the manner described, and include various mechanisms for providing control signals thereto. The control signals commonly constitute a series or cycle which is repetitive, and care must be exercised to insure that the slubs do not exhibit coincidental repetition or geometric patterning in the woven goods.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide improved electrical slubbing mechanisms, adapted to greatly extend the pattern length of known mechanisms and to introduce an additional factor of variability thereinto. I

A particular object is to provide means, in electrical slubbing mechanisms, for periodically interrupting the signal series for predetermined time intervals, and means for readily varying the length and frequency of said interruption intervals, whereby extreme variability of slub pattern may be achieved, with unusually wide flexibility in the fall of the pattern in weaving.

Another object is to provide slub mechanism of simplified and durable construction, adapted for quick adjustment and ready reproduction of any yarn pattern. Further objects will be in part evident and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention and the novel features thereof may best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic representation of a conventional spinning frame and slubbing mechanism, incorporating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is anelevational-view, on enlarged scale, of the circuit interrupting cam assembly of the present invention, taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is an elevational view, on enlarged scale, of the changeover cam of the signal generating mechanism, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 is indicated a conventional three-roll spinning frame, including front rolls 10, intermediate rolls 12 and back rolls 14. Yarn 16 passes from bobbin 18 through the successive roll pairs to a spinning ring traveller 20, whereby the yarn is wound onto spindle 22. The spinning operation, accordingly, encompasses drafting and twisting the yarn, and as will be understood the frame provides for simulta neous processing of a plurality of yarns.

The frame and the front rolls are customarily directly driven through the front roll drive shaft 24.

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From shaft 24, power is transmitted through front roll gear 26, crown gear 28, draft change gear 30 and the back roll drive gear 32 to drive the back rolls 14, and this drive is transmitted through back roll gear 34 and idler 36 to the intermediate roll gear 38 and the intermediate rolls 12.

In this manner, the respective roll pairs are driven at different but correlated speeds. The crown gear 28 incorporates an overrunning clutch 40, and an alternate drive to the back and intermediate rolls is provided through sprocket 42, chain 44, sprocket 46, electromagnetic clutch 48, sprocket 50, chain 52, and the sprocket 54 on the back roll drive shaft. As will be understood, when the clutch 48 is energized and engaged, the back rolls and intermediate rolls will be driven therethrough at speeds somewhat higher than their normal rotational speeds, temporary speeding up of these rolls being permitted by clutch 40 and being eifective to produce thick places or slubs 56 in the yarn in passage between the intermediate rolls 12 and front rolls 10. The overdrive train may extend to the back rolls only, and may be applied as well to two-roll frames. Similar mechanisms function to periodically and temporarily slow down the front rolls, or the front and intermediate rolls. The slubbing mechanism above described is conventional, and not a part of the present invention.

As previously indicated, means are provided to supply a series of control signals to the electromagnetic clutch 48. As shown in Figure 1, gear motor 58 by means of its output shaft 60 drives a cam cylinder 62, which is provided with two rows 64A and 64B of unevenly spaced and sized lugs or cams. Switches. 66A and 66B are positioned and adapted to be engaged and closed by successive cams of the rows 64A and 64B respectively. As shown, switches 66A and 66B are connected in parallel in a circuit including power source 68 and the electromagnetic clutch 48.

The gear motor shaft 60 is extended to drive a changeover mechanism, including sprocket 70, chain 72 and a sprocket 74 fixedly mounted on stub shaft 76. Shaft 76 carries a changeover cam 78, which is provided (see Figure 3) with a rise 80 extending through about 180 of the cam periphery. Switches 82A and 82B are mounted adjacent the periphery of cam 78, spaced radially apart 180, whereby the cam rise 80 in the course of its revolution closes the switches 82A and 82B alternately. As shown in Figure 1, switch 82A is in series with switch 66A, and switch 82B with switch 66B, whereby the changeover mechanism functions to transmit to the electromagnetic clutch 48 alternately, a series of signals generated by cam row 64A and then a series of signals generated by cam row 64B. The signal generating mechanism described above, by way of illustration, is conventional and not a part of the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided in the signal circuit to periodically interrupt the signal series for predetermined time intervals. For this purpose, an additional switch 84 is inserted in series in the signal circuit. Gear motor 86 driving gear 88 is provided, the gear 88 meshing with and driving a change gear 90 mounted on the shaft 92. Also mounted on shaft 92, in operative association with the switch 84, is a split cam assembly indicated generally as 94. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cam assembly 94 comprises two similar cams 96, and 96', each having a rise 98 of 180 angular extent. The cams 96 and 96' are relatively angularly adjustable with respect to each other. For example, the inner cam 96 may be fixedly engaged to the shaft 92 and the outer cam 96' rotatably mounted thereon, the outer cam 96' being provided with a semicircular slot 100. A screw or bolt 102 extending through the slot 100 of cam 96' into cam 96 serves to secure Patented Mar. 22, 1960 the cams in desired relatively adjusted position, and indicia 104 provided along the periphery of the low part of cam 96' may be provided to establish the extent of the gap 106 remaining between the rises 98 of the camsof the assembly. The switch 84 is normally open, and adapted to be closed when engaged by either carn rise of the assembly, being permitted to open during passage of the gap 106 therepas't.

In this manner, the split cam assembly )4 functions with switch 84 as a program timer, periodically activating and deactivating the signal circuit. By setting the gap 106 at any desired value from a few degrees to 180, the signal circuit maybe activated for intervals totaling from 99% to about 50% of the time, and deactivated for intervals constituting the balance of the time. By utilizing a normally closed switch 84, the circuit may be activated for intervals totaling from about 1% to 50% of the time, and deactivated the balance of the time.

The program timer has the effect of permitting production of large and controllable lengths of yarn without slubs thereon, and since the program timer will ordinarily be not synchronizedv with the signal generating means, the program timer serves to spread out the slub pattern over a greatly extended length of yarn, much beyond the capacity of ordinary electrical slu'obing mechanisms.

The length of the signal series interruptions effected by the program timer may be readily varied, by adjustnicnt of the gap 106, and the frequency of the interrup tions may be varied with equal ease, as by changing the gear 90 to a similar gear having a different number of teeth. As will be evident, the program timer introduces an additional factor of variability into known slubbing systems, and affords wide flexibility of pattern change, in simple fashion. The indicia 104 simplify the reproduction of any particular slub pattern which proves desirable in weaving.

As will be understood, the electromagnetic clutch 48 may be fed from a number of 'signalseries generating circuits, any or all 'of which may be provided with the program timer of the present invention. In this manner, yarn having short and frequently spaced slubs as Well as long and infrequently spaced slubs interspersed therewith may be readily produced.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention a structure in which the various objects hereinbefore set forth, together with many practical advantages, are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features of the above invention, all without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

-I claim:

'1. In a mechanism for producing slub yarn including "an electrically operated clutch and means in circuit with s'aidclutch for providing a series of control signals to said clutch to intermittently actuate said clutch; the improvement in which said control signal means comprises an electrical circuit including a source of electrical power and. a switch having a movable member for opening and closing said switch, a cam cylinder having alternating raised and indented sections angularly spaced around its periphery, means to rotate said cylinder, said cylinder being positioned so that its raised portions will displace the movable member of said switch when rotated to a position adjacent to said switch, said depressed portions receiving the movable member of said switch when ad'-' jacent thereto whereby said movable member will be alternately displaced and released to alternately close and open said switch when said cam cylinder is rotated and thereby generate a signal series, and means to periodically interrupt said signal series for predetermined periods 2. Apparatus as defined in claim I, wherein said circuit interrupting means includes mechanism for adjustably varying said time intervals.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said circuit interrupting means includes a pair of semi-circular cams, means for engaging said cams in a variety of relatively angular-1y adjusted positions, means for rotating the cam assembly, and a stationary switch positioned and adapted for actuation by said cams.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3-, wherein said means for driving the cam assembly includes a change gear.

5. In a mechanism for producing slub yarn, including-a plurality of pairs of drafting rolls, means for driving said drafting roll pairs at correlated speeds, means including an electrically operated clutch for varying the speed of one of said roll pairs, and means in circuit with said clutch for providing a series of control signals thereto; the improvement in which said control signal means comprises an electrical circuit including a source of electrical power and a switch having a movable member for opening and closing said switch, a cam cylinder having alternating raised and indented sections angularly spaced around its periphery, means to rotate said cylinder, said cylinder being positioned so that its raised portions will displace the movable member of said switch when rotated to a position adjacent tosaid switch, said depressed portions receiving the movable member of said switch when adjacent thereto whereby said movable member will be ale ternat'ely displaced and released to alternately close and open said switch when said cam cylinder is rotated and thereby generate a signal series, and means to periodically interrupt said signal series for predetermined periods of time. M

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said circuit interrupting means includes a pair of semicircular cams, means for engaging said cams in a variety of relatively angularly adjusted positions, means for rotating the cam assembly, and a stationary switch positioned and adapted for actuation by said cams.

References Cited in 'the fil'e at this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

